


you are my last, my first

by efrondeur



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Depression, Domestic, Keith and Shiro are Siblings, M/M, Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), klancemas week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 08:14:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9114583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/efrondeur/pseuds/efrondeur
Summary: Keith doesn't really know what to do with his life, but what he does know is that he's falling for his brother's friend...





	

**Author's Note:**

> Klancemas Week Day 4: Music
> 
> All the lyrics are from the song [Ave Maria by Beyonce](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqRZnTRNXAU)
> 
> Special thanks to [Rogue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RogueWolf/pseuds/RogueWolf) for beta-ing this!

_I was lost in so many different ways_ _  
_ _Out in the darkness with no guide_

 

What was the point?

He has Shiro. He has his parents.

Anyone else? No.

What was the point?

He's failing his classes.

He’s a loser.

He’s no one.

He’s not worth it.

 

There is no point.

 

* * *

 

_I know the cost of a losing hand_

 

The only thing that keeps him going is Shiro.

Shiro… Shiro lost his arm.

There was some freak accident in the chemistry lab. As to what happened exactly, Keith still doesn’t know. And it wasn’t because no one told him and moreso the fact that the only thing he could process when he picked up the phone was, “Your brother, Takashi Shirogane, has been rushed to the hospital.” After that? He had no idea what the man said.

But either way, Shiro needs him, so Keith stays.

He stays in the hospital for days in a row while Shiro’s in the ICU.

He stays when Shiro has a seizure.

He stays when Shiro finally wakes up.

He stays when his professors email him trying to figure out where he's been.

He stays when the doctors tell him to get outside and get some air.

He stays when Shiro is moved to a regular room.

He stays.

His brother needs him. And that’s all that it takes.

 

* * *

 

 _I've been alone when I'm surrounded by friends_ _  
_ _How could the silence be so loud?_

 

It’s in the hospital that Keith meets Shiro’s friends.

They come in two groups. The first were his grad-school friends, Coran and Allura. Keith had heard about them before. The three of them had been friends for their entire university career.

Keith had heard a lot about Allura, and he was pretty sure that Shiro had a crush on her. Whenever he spoke of her, his eyes would light up, becoming soft, as a small smile graced his face. And now, finally meeting her, Keith can fully understand why.

She was beautiful and graceful. Her British accent makes her sound posh, but after spending just a minute with her, he knows she is anything but. Her kindness and compassion can only be rivalled by Hunk, who Keith met later on in the day. The entire time she’s in the hospital with them, her hand is in Shiro’s, squeezing whenever he shows any sign of pain.

And then there’s Coran. This tall, redheaded, lovable buffoon. It’s fairly obvious it’s an act, an attempt to lighten Shiro’s spirits. It actually seems to work too. Shiro smiled for the first time since he woke up after Coran tells probably the worst joke Keith has ever heard. And seeing Shiro smile only reinvigorates him. By the time they leave, Shiro had actually _laughed_. Keith was worried he’d never hear that sound again.

About two hours later, a group of three shows up. They’re some undergrads that Shiro used to tutor and, at some point, became very close friends with.

The first to walk through the door is a big guy named Hunk. He could quite literally be the friendliest person Keith has ever had the chance to meet. The moment he walks into Shiro’s room, a huge smile spreads across his face. He’s got an armful of stuffed lions of all colors, which Shiro graciously accepted - they were his favorite animal after all. And then, right after plopping the lions on Shiro’s bed, he sits Shiro up, fluffs his pillow, and pours him more water before helping him settle back down.

Following Hunk is a girl named Pidge. Well, it’s her nickname, but that’s neither here nor there.

After Hunk gives Shiro the lions, she hops up on the bed, sitting on Shiro’s left. Carefully, she wraps her arms around his waist, whispering something Keith can’t quite hear. Shiro looks shocked for a moment, before wrapping his arm tightly around her, tears pooling in his eyes. They stay like that for a couple minutes, quietly crying with each other. Hunk watches them with a soft expression while Keith stares out the window.

About fifteen minutes later, a tall, lanky guy walks in carrying a couple drinks from the coffee shop, The Daily Grind. Hunk greets him, calling him Lance. Lance smiles at Hunk as he brings a drink over to Shiro, explaining that everything in the hospital was probably gross, so he got him his favorite: caramel hot cocoa. Shiro smiles, thanking him.

They settle into an easy conversation, roping Hunk and Pidge in after a few minutes. Keith chimes in every here and there, but mostly stays in the background.

All in all, Shiro’s friends were fantastic, caring, and seemed to know him in and out. They were inclusive of Keith, happy to finally meet their friend’s brother, but… it was forced. Keith didn’t belong there with them around and he knew that. But what’s he supposed to do? Leave his brother when he promised to stay?

No. He _promised_. He’d deal until they left.

\-----

Well, as it turns out. Shiro’s friends are fucking amazing.

The meet and greet had been kinda rocky, but what else can you expect when you meet people in a hospital room?

They came around pretty often while Shiro was in the hospital, and Keith had slowly been integrated into their friend group.

And it was… fantastic.

These people were so loving and caring, so funny but serious, and exactly what Keith needed.

Now, when he gets a call, his first thought isn’t “what does Shiro want now” but “what’s the group doing tonight?”

And, don’t get him wrong, he wouldn’t trade it for the world, but there’s still something missing. Something he feels like he just isn’t getting. Something everyone else but him knows.

It’s eating at him.

 

* * *

 

 _Sometimes love can come and pass you by  
_ _Suddenly hits you, and then you realize_

 

Keith isn’t in love.

No. Lance is just a friend.

A friend with a smile that lights up your world.

With a fiery passion for the sky and the stars.

With eyes that sparkle like the sapphires they are.

With a seething hatred for country music and anything involving a banjo.

With an undying love and pure loyalty towards his family and friends.

He’s a friend you can count on. A man that has no shame, no filter. The boy that shows you his favorite memes, but will suddenly switch into one of the deepest conversations you will ever have.

He’s…

Okay. Maybe Keith _kinda_ likes him. Just a little. Tiny bit.

Everyone gets a crush on their friends at some point… right?

…Please say right.

\-----

Wrong.

Keith is fucking head over heels.

This beautiful, funny, kind, asshole of a man is gonna be the death of him.

When Lance even smiles at him, Keith needs to take a moment if he wants to say anything coherent.

It doesn’t help that Lance has been getting even touchier than usual.

He sits next to Keith on movie nights or if they go out to dinner. Seems to always be finding a reason to touch his shoulder or wrap an arm around him. Always hugs him hello and goodbye.

Keith can feel them for _hours_ after he’s gone and it’s killing Keith, slowly but surely.

Although, in all honesty, Keith loves it. He loves his gentle touches - like, yeah, they’re meaningless to Lance, but they mean so much to Keith.

So he hoards each and every touch while he still can. Eventually Lance will find out. Eventually he’ll find out that Lance means more to him than he thinks. Eventually he’ll be out of Keith’s life. But that’s a problem for Future Keith.

* * *

 

_It's out of your hands..._

 

 **Lance**  
>hey, can we talk soon?

 **Keith**  
>Yeah, I can call you right now?

 **Lance**  
>no like in person

 **Keith**  
>Oh. When were you thinking?

 **Lance**  
>tonight? if ur free, if not my schedule is pretty open for the next few days

 **Keith**  
>Tonight’s fine. What time? Where?

 **Lance**  
>the daily grind? 7?

 **Keith**  
>Yeah, sure. See you then.

\-----

Keith shows up at the coffee shop a little before seven. Someone calls his name as he walks up to the cash register.

It’s Lance, he realizes when he turns towards the source.

His hair is unusually mussed, lips red and swollen. He’s been biting them again, which means something’s been making him nervous…

He walks over to the corner table Lance is sitting at. There’s a cup already waiting in his spot.

“Triple shot americano with a shot of vanilla, right?” asks Lance.

“Uh, yeah. Thanks,” says Keith, taking the seat across from Lance.

“‘Course.”

Keith pulls the lid off of his cup, lightly blowing on it.

They sit in an awkward silence for a minute. And, well, it’s awkward. Lance is only quiet when he’s thinking, but the silence is always comfortable, not like this. It doesn’t help that Lance is squirming, gaze fixated on his drink.

“So,” starts Keith.

“I-” starts Lance.

“Oh, sorry, you first,” says Keith.

“No, go for it.”

“Well, I was just gonna ask why you needed to talk.”

“What? A guy can’t talk to his friend?” asks Lance.

Keith tries not to wince at the word _friend_.

“Well, you can, but you usually tell me we’re going out instead of asking to talk…”

“Fair.” Lance sighs, starting to worry his lip again.

“I, uh… um. I-I,” stutters Lance. Lance wrings his hands together, taking a deep breath. There’s a fairly prominent blush staining his cheeks an adorable pinkish red.

Keith remains calm and collected on the outside - well, at least attempts to - but inside, he’s a mess.

He’s never actually seen Lance act like this before, and they’ve been close friends for months. It’s absolutely frightening. Nerve-wracking. Terrifying. Anxiety inducing. Need more examples?

Lance glances up at Keith for a moment, before looking back to his drink.

“I like you,” says Lance, so fast Keith can’t even tell what he said.

“What?”

Lance takes a deep breath and stares Keith straight in the eye. “I like you. Like, as more than a friend. I have for awhile…”

“Oh,” is all Keith can say.

“It’s fine if you don’t like me back, I just wanted you to know. I-I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time, but, shit’s hard, y’know? And, I didn’t want you to, like, find out from someone else and make things weird between us…. It’s not gonna be weird, right? ‘Cause no matter what happens, you’re still, like, one of my best friends and I don’t wanna lose you, I just needed you to know, but I even the thou-”

Keith clamps a hand over Lance’s mouth.

“You like me?” asks Keith.

Lance nods.

“ _Like_ , like me?”

Lance nods again.

Keith removes his hand, but Lance doesn’t say anything.

“I… I like you, too,” says Keith.

Lance’s eyes light up, mouth opening slightly. “Wait, really?”

Keith rubs the back of his neck, ducking his gaze. “I mean, yeah. Hasn’t it been obvious?”

Lance tips his head. “Well, at first I thought you did, but Hunk and Pidge told me that you didn’t, so…”

“Oh, uh. I-I did.” Keith laughs nervously.

Lance eyes Keith. “So, can we, like, go on dates now, or?”

“Aren’t we already kinda on one?” asks Keith, gesturing around them. “You did buy me coffee.”

A huge grin breaks out on Lance’s face.

God, he’s beautiful.

* * *

 

 _I still go home knowing that I've got you_ _  
_ _There's only us when the lights go down_

 

They moved in together about three months ago; it was the best decision of Keith’s entire life.

And to think, that over a year ago Keith was stuck, feeling like he had nowhere to go and no one to keep himself grounded. And now? Now he has Lance.

Now he has cold toes against his calves. An apartment where Beyonce is always blasting. Someone to be with when he’s upset or wants to cuddle. An amazing kisser to make out with. A comedian to make him laugh.

A best friend and a boyfriend that he can spend his days with.

He may complain when the frozen toes wake him up or when Lance tells the worst joke he has ever heard, but he absolutely loves every second of it - although he will never, _ever_ admit that.

But it’s… it’s just amazing. It’s all he’s ever wanted, and he could never ask for anything more.

 

 

 

_Baby, you've got to understand_

_You are my heaven on earth_

_You are my hunger, my thirst_

_You are my last, my first_

 

_Ave Maria_

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are love! Any comments and criticisms are greatly appreciated!
> 
> Feel free to talk with me on my [tumblr](http://shiros-eyes.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/thememewrites)


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